The Underground Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang

Fu Tianchou
ISBN: 978-7-80005-009-1
New World Press
116 pag. paperback 25 x 25 cm 1996

The discovery of the terracotta army buried near the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first unifier of China, is regarded as one of the most spectacular archaeological finds of the 20th century. Created 2,200 years ago as an imperial guard to serve the emperor in his afterlife, these thousands of life-size warrior and horse figures equipped with chariots and bronze weapons, bear witness to the military might of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), and give the world a rare peek into the distant past. Discovered in 1974 and opened to the public in 1979, this ancient site is now one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world. The present volume, compiled and edited by the distinguished Chinese sculptor and art critic, Professor Fu Tianchou, offers the reader, in both words and pictures, a comprehensive introduction to this ancient monumental group sculpture. The introductory essay by Sidney Shapiro, a renowned translator of classical Chinese literature, gives essential background information about Emperor Qin Shi Huang and the excavation of his tomb figures. The main essay, written by Professor Fu Tianchou, presents a detailed and illuminating study of the artistic aspects of the terracotta army and explores the richness and splendor of Qin sculptural art. Professor Fu also makes a thought-provoking comparison between the terracotta warriors and the stone gods of ancient Greece. A more notable feature of the book is its unique collection of photographs, which provides full pictorial documentation of the underground terracotta army. With his "sculptor's eye," Professor Fu has selected these pictures and personally supervised much of the photography, thus ensuring both accuracy of depiction and visual beauty.